tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:/xml/corporate%20environmental%20transgressors1corporate environmental transgressors news from mongabay.com2015-03-29T01:01:27Ztag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/145502015-03-28T23:58:00Z2015-03-29T01:01:27ZAPRIL suspends contractor after environmentalists expose ongoing deforestationAsia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL) has suspended a contractor and a plantation manager after environmentalists exposed deforestation that violates the logging giant's sustainability policy.Rhett Butler0.993471102.401073tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/145412015-03-26T23:39:00Z2015-03-27T02:52:11ZAPRIL violates sustainability policy by clearing peat forest after Jan cut-off<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/15/0326rapp_greenomics150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>New data shows Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL) is continuing to destroy rainforests on deep peat despite a high profile pledge to clean up its operations. Today Greenomics-Indonesia released an analysis of two NASA Landsat images confirming that APRIL's subsidiary PT Riau Andalan Pulp Paper (RAPP) has cleared significant tracts of peat forest on Pulau Pedang island off Sumatra's coast since January 2015.
Rhett Butler0.993470102.401072tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/144562015-03-05T18:19:00Z2015-03-05T19:20:13ZWith new policy, 3M drops controversial forestry certification label3M has announced a new sustainability policy that will reduce the impact of its fiber-sourcing practices on forests and wildlife. Rhett Butler44.950739-92.996034tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/144482015-03-03T15:58:00Z2015-03-05T19:44:48ZEmploying shame for environmental change<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/15/0303.shame.bookcover.thumb.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Anyone who has ever felt the sting of shame, knows its power. Shame has long been used by societal institutions&#8212;families, communities, governments, religions&#8212;for making individuals tow the line of the majority. But a new book explores another&#8212;arguably more positive&#8212;side of shame: its potential to challenge rule-breaking and ethically-defunct corporations. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/144212015-02-24T23:59:00Z2015-02-25T00:53:03ZSantander Bank cuts off APRIL due to deforestationBanking giant Santander says it will not extend further financing to Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) due to evidence that the Singapore-based pulp and paper company is continuing to destroy rainforests in Indonesia. The move comes after Greenpeace launched a global campaign against the bank.Rhett Butler1.013991102.330548tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/143942015-02-18T18:25:00Z2015-02-18T18:26:54ZChinese banks funding rainforest destruction in IndonesiaWhile Santander Bank has made headlines in recent days for financing an Indonesian forestry giant's ongoing clearance of carbon-dense forests in Sumatra, Chinese banks among the largest funders of the company, reveals analysis conducted by BankTrack.org.Rhett Butler1.013997102.330555tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/143692015-02-11T02:33:00Z2015-02-11T02:35:57ZBanco Santander targeted over deforestation linkGreenpeace has opened a new front in its campaign against a controversial Indonesian logging company by targeting one of its major financiers: Banco Santander.Rhett Butler1.013995102.330545tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/143342015-02-03T18:28:00Z2015-02-03T18:33:49ZDespite green promise, Indonesian forestry giant continues to destroy forestsA year after it pledged a dramatic shift in how it operates in Indonesia's fast dwindling native habitats, Asia Pacific Resources International Ltd (APRIL) continues to destroy forests and peatlands in Sumatra, allege environmentalists.Rhett Butler1.188157102.29334tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/141442014-12-11T17:10:00Z2014-12-11T21:33:52ZNew film highlights local resistance to Nicaragua's canal<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/14/1211.grancanal._DSC0638.150jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>This fall, filmmakers Tom Miller and Nuin-Tara Key with Pretty Good Productions found themselves in Nicaragua where they heard about a stunning project: the Gran Canal. Approved last year, the canal is meant to compete with the Panama Canal to the south. Built by a Chinese company, it will cut through 278 kilometers, destroying forests and driving through the largest freshwater body in Central America.Jeremy Hance12.163097-83.692639tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/141282014-12-08T17:06:00Z2014-12-08T17:57:12ZIndigenous leader murdered before he could attend Climate Summit<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/14/1207.Hombre_Shuar.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Days before José Isidro Tendetza Antún was supposed to travel to the UN Climate Summit in Lima to publicly file a complaint against a massive mining operation, he went missing. Now, the Guardian reports that the body of the Shuar indigenous leader has been found, bound and buried in an unmarked grave on the banks of the Zamora River.Jeremy Hance-3.576019-78.485306tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/140552014-11-20T23:36:00Z2014-11-24T03:28:29ZRanking the world's best - and worst - palm oil companies in terms of sustainability<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/14/1120-opp-out150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>A new initiative ranks the world's 25 largest publicly listed palm oil companies in terms of transparency around the environmental performance of their operations. The project, called Sustainable Palm Oil Transparency Toolkit, was developed by The Zoological Society of London (ZSL).Rhett Butler1.309319109.666107tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/139492014-10-28T15:02:00Z2015-01-21T20:13:08ZArtists, musicians, writers protest government plans for massive coal plant in the SundarbansOver the weekend, Bangladeshi artists performed plays, sang songs, and recited poetry all in a bid to protect the Sundarbans&#8212;the world's biggest mangrove forest&#8212;from the threat of a massive coal plant. Construction is already under way on the hugely controversial Rampal coal plant, a 1,320 megawatt plant set just 14 kilometers from the edge of the Sundarbans.Jeremy Hance22.56428089.666323tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/139442014-10-27T12:46:00Z2014-10-27T12:55:10ZScientific association calls on Nicaragua to scrap its Gran Canal ATBC&#8212;the world's largest association of tropical biologists and conservationists&#8212;has advised Nicaragua to halt its ambitious plan to build a massive canal across the country. The ATBC warns that the Chinese-backed canal, also known as the Gran Canal, will have devastating impacts on Nicaragua's water security, its forests and wildlife, and local people. Jeremy Hance11.456933-85.501372tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/139412014-10-23T20:23:00Z2014-10-23T21:35:02ZBeef, palm oil, soy, and wood products from 8 countries responsible for 1/3 of forest destructionFour commodities produced in just eight countries are responsible for a third of the world's forest loss, according to a new report. Those familiar with the long-standing effort to stop deforestation won't be surprised by the commodities named: beef, palm oil, soy, and wood products (including timber and paper). Nor will they be very surprised by most of the countries: Brazil, Indonesia, and Malaysia.Jeremy Hance5.505705101.755097tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/139282014-10-21T17:05:00Z2014-11-06T17:55:34ZTop scientists raise concerns over commercial logging on Woodlark Island<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/14/0428.woodlark.beach.IMG_0163.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>A number of the world's top conservation scientists have raised concerns about plans for commercial logging on Woodlark Island, a hugely biodiverse rainforest island off the coast of Papua New Guinea. The scientists, with the Alliance of Leading Environmental Scientists and Thinkers (ALERT), warn that commercial logging on the island could imperil the island's stunning local species and its indigenous people.Jeremy Hance -9.1579152.779tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/138982014-10-09T23:46:00Z2014-10-10T00:00:57ZGreenpeace sinks Lego's $116 million deal with Shell Oil over Arctic drilling<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/14/lego.shell.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Lego has announced it will be severing its partnership with the oil giant, Shell, when the current contract expires after a clever campaign by environmental activist group, Greenpeace. Since 2011, Lego has been selling exclusive sets at Shell stations, but the companies' relationship actually goes back decades. In 1966, the Danish toy company first began selling Lego sets with Shell's brand stamped on them. Jeremy Hance69.683832-167.361441tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/138112014-09-22T13:36:00Z2014-09-23T00:10:27ZExtinction island? Plans to log half an island could endanger over 40 species<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/14/plullulaeopti.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Woodlark Island is a rare place on the planet today. This small island off the coast Papua New Guinea is still covered in rich tropical forest, an ecosystem shared for thousands of years between tribal peoples and a plethora of species, including at least 42 found no-where else. Yet, like many such wildernesses, Woodlark Island is now facing major changes: not the least of them is a plan to log half of the island. Jeremy Hance-9.038617 152.610839tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/137192014-08-27T18:52:00Z2014-11-06T17:48:27ZThe Gran Canal: will Nicaragua's big bet create prosperity or environmental ruin? <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/14/0827.800px-Volcanic_Island.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>A hundred years ago, the Panama Canal reshaped global geography. Now a new project, spearheaded by a media-shy Chinese millionaire, wants to build a 278-kilometer canal through Nicaragua. While the government argues the mega-project will change the country's dire economic outlook overnight, critics contend it will cause undue environmental damage, upend numerous communities, and do little to help local people.Jeremy Hance11.392321 -85.465667tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/137102014-08-24T17:33:00Z2014-12-20T01:31:17ZScientists name new endangered species after the company that will decide its fate<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/14/0824.Quarry-at-Gn.-Kanthan,-Perak---Ong-Poh-Teck.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Scientists have discovered a new snail species near a cement quarry in Malaysia, which as far as they know lives nowhere else in the world. It lives on a limestone hill called Kanthan given as a concession to an international company Lafarge. The cement producer quarries the hill for raw materials. As a result, the scientists have named the species after the company that will decide if it goes extinct. Jeremy Hance4.599012101.093388tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/137062014-08-22T19:08:00Z2014-08-22T19:12:29ZGreenpeace alleges SLAPP suit tactic by logging companyGreenpeace Canada has filed a Statement of Defense in response to a $7 million lawsuit by Resolute Forest Products (NYSE:RFP) over allegations that the logging company destroyed forests in Quebec and Ontario.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/135102014-07-08T21:17:00Z2014-07-11T20:45:14ZAPP won't acquire companies that continue to destroy forests<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/riau/150/riau_5260.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Asia Pulp &amp; Paper (APP) will not acquire companies that continue to destroy forests, according to a new procedure for association introduced by the Indonesian forestry giant. The procedure, developed after months of consultations with NGOs, effectively closes a loophole some environmentalists feared would allow APP to sidestep its zero deforestation commitment by acquiring companies that continued to clear forest after its February 5, 2013 deadline.Rhett Butler0.641314101.788231tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/134542014-06-25T23:04:00Z2014-11-06T17:06:52ZIs Cameroon becoming the new Indonesia? Palm oil plantations accelerating deforestation<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/14/0625-cameroon-elephants-thumb.png" align="left"/></td></tr></table>The potential for new laws governing the use of forest resources this year in Cameroon promises an opportunity to stem the rapid loss of forest in the biologically diverse country. But the changes may ultimately not be what’s needed to save Cameroon’s forests.Morgan Erickson-Davis3.7508989.993512tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/133602014-06-06T21:38:00Z2014-06-06T22:01:00ZAPRIL's forest policy failing to stop rainforest destruction, say green groupsAsia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited's forest policy allows the Singapore-based pulp and paper giant to continue destroying rainforests and peatlands for industrial plantations, argues a letter published by an international coalition of environmental groups.Rhett Butler1.035405102.331282tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/133452014-06-05T13:04:00Z2014-06-08T22:34:58ZOil company breaks agreement, builds big roads in Yasuni rainforest<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/14/1112-5_Karla.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>When the Ecuadorian government approved permits for an oil company to drill deep in Yasuni National Park, it was on the condition that the company undertake a roadless design with helicopters doing most of the leg-work. However, a new report based on high-resolution satellite imagery has uncovered that the company, Petroamazonas, has flouted the agreement's conditions, building a massive access road.Jeremy Hance-0.942388-75.716907tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/133282014-06-03T03:08:00Z2014-07-08T21:40:21ZLogger continues to destroy Indonesian rainforest despite green promises (Photos)<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/14/0602GP0STOE8U150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Indonesian logging giant Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) is continuing to destroy endangered rainforests on Sumatra despite a high profile commitment to clean up its operations, reveal aerial photos captured by Greenpeace last month.Rhett Butler1.188155102.293331tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/133062014-05-29T01:50:00Z2014-05-29T03:58:56ZSingapore: companies must accept responsibility in addressing haze crisisCorporations will have to step up as better stewards of the environment if Southeast Asia's haze crisis is to be addressed, said Singaporean officials during a meeting held last week to discuss regional sustainability efforts.Rhett Butler1.306364103.832854tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/132992014-05-28T15:22:00Z2014-05-28T15:51:00ZGreenpeace accuses controversial palm oil company and Cameroon government of illegal logging<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/14/0528.bulldozers.herakles.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Greenpeace has just accused one of the world's most controversial oil palm companies, Herakles Farms, of colluding with top government officials to sell off illegally logged timber to China. According to a new report, an agreement between Cameroon's Minister of Forestry and Herkales Farms&#8212;through a shell company&#8212;could torpedo the country's agreement with the EU for better timber management. Jeremy Hance5.0635689.285140tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/132892014-05-27T17:36:00Z2014-05-27T17:40:35ZDeutsche Bank dumps controversial palm oil companyDeutsche Bank has sold its stake in Bumitama, an Indonesian palm company that has been embroiled in controversy over alleged destruction of rainforests and peatlands in Borneo, reports Friends of the Earth Europe.Rhett Butler51.506646-0.016869tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/132752014-05-23T01:29:00Z2014-05-23T01:41:36ZWWF accuses APRIL of breaking sustainability commitment by logging rainforest in BorneoEnvironmental group WWF has accused Singapore-based pulp and paper giant Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) of breaking its recent conservation commitment by destroying rainforest in Indonesian Borneo. APRIL has denied the charges.Rhett Butler3.554199117.074726tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/132712014-05-22T15:42:00Z2014-06-25T15:48:50ZZero-deforestation commitments pose acute challenges for commercial giants in the palm oil industry<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay.s3.amazonaws.com/sabah/150/sabah_4062.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>The path to zero-deforestation appears to be paved with good intentions, but how successful are these companies in staying on that path? A controversial proposal to construct a refinery in the wildlife-rich Balikpapan Bay in Indonesian Borneo highlights the challenges faced by both palm oil companies and conservationists in the face of zero-deforestation commitments. Jeremy Hance-1.127826116.779421tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/131892014-05-06T19:49:00Z2014-05-06T20:03:57ZAlmost 90 percent of Republic of the Congo's lowland forests open to logging<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/14/0506.brnxz_482.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Although the Republic of the Congo has opened up nearly 90 percent of its lowland forests to logging, the majority of the logging occurring in the country is still illegal, according to a new report from the Chatham House. In fact the UK policy institute finds that illegal logging in the Republic of the Congo may make up as much as 70-75 percent of the industry. Jeremy Hance2.16966517.210078tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/131502014-04-29T15:58:00Z2014-04-29T19:01:13ZPapua New Guinea pledges to cancel massive land grabs by timber companiesPapua New Guinea's Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, released a statement last week saying that hugely controversial land leases under the country's Special Agricultural and Business Leases (SABLs) will be cancelled if they are found to be run for extracting timber. Jeremy Hance-4.076401141.427226tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/131472014-04-29T12:52:00Z2014-05-06T16:37:46Z3M linked to deforestation in Brazil, Canada, Europe, and U.S., says NGO<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/14/0429.3m-scandal-report-final4.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>A new report from activist group, ForestEthics, alleges that U.S. company, 3M, supplies many of its products from endangered forests around the world. The NGO links 3M's masking tape and sandpaper to caribou habitat in the boreal forests of Canada, Scotch-Brite sponges to a controversial paper mill in Brazil, and those ubiquitous Post-it Notes to allegedly poor logging practices in the U.S.Jeremy Hance44.950737-92.996032tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/131452014-04-28T18:39:00Z2014-09-25T18:57:30ZLoggers plan to clear 20 percent of tropical island paradise<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/14/0428.woodlark.tree.Forest.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Seven years ago, a palm oil company set its eyes on Woodlark Island&#8212;a small rainforest island nearly 200 miles off the coast of Papua New Guinea&#8212;but was rebuked by the local populace. But locals and conservationists who spoke to mongabay.com at the time felt that wouldn't be the end of it: they were right. Recently, a company, Karridale Limited, has landed machinery on the island.Jeremy Hance-9.145404152.812027tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/130862014-04-16T16:20:00Z2014-04-16T16:38:58ZEcuador will have referendum on fate of Yasuni after activists collect over 700,000 signaturesIn what is a major victory for environmentalists, campaigners with United for Yasuni have collected 727,947 signatures triggering a national referendum on whether or not oil drilling should proceed in three blocs of Yasuni National Park in Ecuador. Jeremy Hance-1.438883-76.068026tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/130822014-04-15T14:33:00Z2014-04-15T16:36:29ZMalaysia imperils forest reserves and sea turtle nesting ground for industrial site (photos)<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/14/0414.tanjung.panorama.5.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Plans for an industrial site threaten one of Malaysia's only marine turtle nesting beaches and a forest home to rare trees and mammals, according to local activists. Recently, the state government of Perak approved two industrial project inside Tanjung Hantu Permanent Forest Reserve. But activists say these will not only cut into the reserve, but also scare away nesting turtles from Pasir Panjang.Jeremy Hance4.315341100.562672tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/130652014-04-09T23:58:00Z2014-04-10T05:30:41ZCargill commits to zero deforestation, but environmentalists have questions<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay/sabah/150/sabah_1847.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>After years of criticism from environmental groups, Cargill says it will establish policies to eliminate deforestation, peatlands conversion, and social conflict from its palm oil supply chain. But activists aren't yet sure what to make of the agribusiness giant's pledge. On Tuesday Cargill released a letter it sent to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), a body that sets eco-certification standards, in response to a Greenpeace Report linking it to deforestation. Rhett Butler3.844511103.339071tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/130602014-04-08T19:55:00Z2014-04-08T22:47:43ZProcter & Gamble, Cargill pledge to cut deforestation linked to palm oil<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/riau/150/riau_0093.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Procter &amp; Gamble (P&amp;G) and Cargill today announced new measures to cut deforestation from their palm oil supply chains. P&amp;G (NYSE:PG), a consumer products giant that owns brands like Head & Shoulders and Oil of Olay, pledged to establish traceability of palm oil to supplier mills by the end of 2015. The policy commits it to eliminate deforestation from its supply chain by 2020.Rhett Butler44.952066-93.476831tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/130242014-04-03T04:49:00Z2014-04-03T05:00:44ZMalaysian palm oil giant tied to social conflict, deforestation, says report<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay/sabah/150/sabah_1832.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Unlike other palm oil giants that have recently made strong commitments to eliminating deforestation and social conflict from their supply chains, Malaysia-based Kuala Lumpur Kepong (KLK) continues to source palm oil associated with forest destruction and community conflict, argues a new report published by the Rainforest Action Network (RAN).Rhett Butler-9.409097149.120078tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/130222014-04-02T18:01:00Z2015-03-05T04:43:15ZIs deforestation-free clothing possible?<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay.s3.amazonaws.com/colombia/150/colombia_2946.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>H&M and Zara/Inditex, two of the world's largest clothing companies, today pledged to eliminate old-growth forest destruction from their products. The commitment lends support to a new front on efforts to cut deforestation out of the supply chains of global brands. Until now, most of the focus of campaigners has been on pulp and paper, timber, and agricultural commodities like soy, palm oil, and cattle.Rhett Butler2.31971398.64381tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/129862014-03-26T14:11:00Z2014-03-26T14:26:16ZThe best of the worst: fossil-fuel extractors pave the way for the low-carbon revolutionAt the end of last year, the world got some good news on the green business front concerning a very unlikely set of participants. A recent market review revealed that Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips, Royal Dutch Shell, Duke Energy, PG&E Corporation, American Electric Power Company, ConAgra Foods and Walmart, among others, are including shadow carbon prices in their forecasts. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/129422014-03-18T05:16:00Z2014-03-18T15:49:06ZAPP pledges to restore forests, if given the opportunity<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/14/0318-bukit-tigapuluh_01_150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Over the past 20 years, Sumatra's lowland rainforests have been destroyed at a virtually unmatched rate and scale. Since 1990, the island's primary forests shrank by 40 percent while its overall forest cover declined by 36 percent, mostly the result of logging, agricultural expansion, and conversion for oil palm and timber plantations. What little forest does survive is often degraded &#8212; today less than 8 percent of Sumatra retains primary forest.Rhett Butler-0.955766102.416897tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/129402014-03-17T17:58:00Z2015-02-16T04:44:33ZWill zero deforestation commitments save Indonesia's forests?<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/riau/150/riau_1088.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Skirting the Malacca Strait near the Indonesian city of Dumai the air is thick with haze from peat fires burning below. As the sky clears, a landscape of sharply-cut geometric shapes becomes apparent. What was once carbon-dense peat forests and rainforests are today massive oil palm and wood pulp plantations.Rhett Butler1.417092101.795096tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/129382014-03-16T21:14:00Z2014-03-19T03:09:26ZControversial Amazon dams may have exacerbated biblical flooding<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/14/0319bolivia-flood150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Environmentalists and scientists raised howls of protest when the Santo Antônio and Jirau Dams were proposed for the Western Amazon in Brazil, claiming among other issues that the dams would raise water levels on the Madeira River, potentially leading to catastrophic flooding. It turns out they may have been right: last week a federal Brazilian court ordered a new environmental impact study on the dams given suspicion that they have worsened recent flooding in Brazil and across the border in Bolivia.Jeremy Hance9.1600 64.3857tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/129242014-03-13T15:56:00Z2014-03-13T16:05:18ZEurope votes for an Arctic Sanctuary Yesterday, the European Parliament passed a resolution supporting the creation of an Arctic Sanctuary covering the vast high Arctic around the North Pole, giving official status to an idea that has been pushed by activists for years. Still, the sanctuary has a long road to go before becoming a reality: as Arctic sea ice rapidly declines due to climate change, there has been rising interest from governments and industries to exploit the once inaccessible wilderness for fish and fossil fuels. Jeremy Hance82.452125 -173.416326tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/129062014-03-10T17:49:00Z2014-03-11T00:20:41ZSnickers, Twix to be deforestation-free<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/14/031020140310PG--Aerial03_150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Mars, Inc., the maker of M&amp;M's, Snickers, Twix, and a variety of other food products, has committed to a zero deforestation policy for the palm oil it sources, reports Greenpeace. The policy pledges Mars to only using palm oil produced legally and without conversion of high conservation value areas, peatlands, or high carbon stock areas like tropical rainforests.Rhett Butler-0.810901114.75621tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/128792014-03-05T23:50:00Z2014-03-06T00:10:21ZFast food companies are laggards on palm oil sourcing safeguards<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/14/0305Palm-Oil-2-6-14-150px.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Fast food companies are lagging behind other consumer products companies in efforts to establish policies that favor deforestation-free and conflict-free palm oil, finds a new assessment published by the Union of Concerned Scientists, an advocacy group. The report, titled 'Donuts, Deodorant, Deforestation: Scoring America's Top Brands on Their Palm Oil Commitments', looked at palm oil sourcing policies of 30 of the largest fast food, personal care, and packaged food corporations in the United States. It found leadership by a handful of firms.Rhett Butler5.270794117.69545tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/128752014-03-05T15:18:00Z2014-03-05T15:50:58ZThe price of gold: winners and losers in Latin America's mining industry<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/14/0405.march.IMG_0764.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>On a Friday afternoon in June, the Plaza de Armas in Cajamarca is pulsing with life. It's winter here, and although thick white clouds hover low in the distance, the sun in this northern Peruvian city is warm. Couples sit on benches facing one another. Kids run in the grass between flowerbeds. Men in suits stride along the perimeter. It's an idyllic day. But signs of something more ominous are not far from sight. On the mountainside overlooking the town the words <i>Nova Conga</i> have been carved into the vegetation. It is a constant reminder that beyond the square, hemmed with international hotels and expensive restaurants, there is another reality.Jeremy Hance-7.158507-78.513558tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/128282014-02-26T06:24:00Z2014-02-26T19:17:46ZProcter & Gamble's palm oil suppliers linked to deforestation (photos)<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/14/GP0STO8KS150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>A year-long investigation by Greenpeace has found companies that supply Procter & Gamble (P&G) (NYSE:PG) with palm oil are engaged in clearing of rainforests and peatlands in Indonesia, suggesting that Head &amp; Shoulders shampoo and other consumer products made by the company may be linked to forest destruction.Rhett Butler-1.930482112.439146tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/127922014-02-20T00:30:00Z2014-02-25T05:57:45ZAPP, environmentalists talk future of Indonesia's forests<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/14/0220RI1_0553A150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>In February 2013, one of the world's most notorious forestry companies announced it would no longer chop down rainforests and peatlands to produce pulp and paper. The move was met with considerable skepticism by critics who had seen the company break previous high profile commitments to end deforestation. Why would this time be any different?Rhett Butler1.48848101.776915tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/127182014-02-04T12:57:00Z2014-02-20T19:10:42ZGas company to drill in Manu National Park buffer zone, imperiling indigenous peopleThe Peruvian government has approved plans for gas company Pluspetrol to move deeper into a supposedly protected reserve for indigenous peoples and the buffer zone of the Manu National Park in the Amazon rainforest. The approval follows the government rescinding a highly critical report on the potential impacts of the operations by the Culture Ministry (MINCU), the resignation of the Culture Minister and other Ministry personnel, and repeated criticism from Peruvian and international civil society.Jeremy Hance-11.813588-72.499695tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/127162014-02-03T17:25:00Z2014-02-03T17:40:50ZTotal says it will not drill in any World Heritage SitesOne of the world's largest oil and gas companies, Total, has committed to leave the planet's UNESCO World Heritage Sites untouched, according to the United Nations. The UN says the French energy giant has sent written confirmation that it will not explore or extract fossil fuels from any of the world's over 200 natural World Heritage Sites. Jeremy Hance-0.08171129.518147tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/127122014-01-31T16:28:00Z2014-01-31T16:34:30ZL'Oreal pledges to wipe out forest destruction from its products by 2020French cosmetics giant, L'Oreal, has pledged to stop using palm oil linked to deforestation for its products by 2020. Palm oil, which is found in both cosmetics and many food items, has been linked to widespread deforestation in places like Indonesia and Malaysia, decimating biodiversity and contributing to global warming. The crop, which is both high-yield and lucrative, is now becoming increasingly popular in Africa and Latin America as well. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/127072014-01-30T13:06:00Z2014-01-30T13:15:30ZShell drops plans to drill in the Arctic for nowFacing plunging profits, Royal Dutch Shell has announced it will cut exploration and development funding by nearly $10 billion this year, including halting their long-suffering plans to drill in the Arctic ocean. Shell's new CEO, Ben van Beurden, made the announcement yesterday that controversial plans to drill off the Alaskan coast will be put on hold for another year. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/126992014-01-29T13:28:00Z2014-01-29T14:27:38ZA series of oil spills sully Caribbean paradise, coating mangroves and wildlife (photos) <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/14/0129.tandt.IMG_0266.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>On December 17th, officials first discovered a massive oil spill in the Caribbean-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Since then, a series of oil spills have been discovered, coating beaches, sullying mangrove forests, and very likely decimating wildlife in Trinidad's Gulf of Paria. The oil spills have been linked to the state-owned oil company, Petrotrin, which has claimed that sabotage is behind at least two of the spills. However Trinidad and Tobago's Environmental Management Authority has recently slapped the company with a $3.1 million fine by for the damage, while some politicians have called for an independent investigation into the slew of spills. Jeremy Hance10.243641-61.620655tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/126532014-01-17T18:11:00Z2014-02-22T01:52:32ZIndonesian logger faces expulsion from business sustainability groupIndonesian pulp and paper giant Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (ARPIL) faces expulsion from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), a body of 200 large companies that have made sustainability commitments, if it fails to stop clearing rainforests and peatlands on the island of Sumatra, reports Greenpeace.Rhett Butler0.988034102.711074tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/126502014-01-17T13:53:00Z2014-04-01T16:20:11ZCourt orders logging company to clean up pollution disaster in Chile wetlands <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/14/0117.swans.2004-11-18-14.01.49.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Chile is probably best known for its volcanoes, earthquakes and the formidable peaks of the Andes, but as a country that spans 4,300 km (2,670 miles) from top to bottom, it also boasts a huge variety of bird life. And, until recently, it was home to what was thought to be the largest population of black-necked swans (Cygnus melancoryphus) in South America. Not long ago, these swans, as well as 100 other species of rare or vulnerable bird species, could be seen nesting in the Carlos Anwandter Nature Sanctuary in Valdivia, a Ramsar site that covers 12,000 acres in the south of Chile. But in 2004 the swans began to die. Jeremy Hance-39.691469-73.207941tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/126442014-01-16T14:04:00Z2014-01-16T16:01:41ZEnvironmental groups: top secret Pacific trade agreement to sacrifice wildlife, environmentEnvironmental groups have blasted draft text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) released yesterday by WikiLeaks as potentially devastating to the environment and wildlife. The massive 12-nation free trade agreement has been negotiated in secret now for almost four years, and the information release by WikiLeaks shows that key environmental safeguards in the agreement are being stripped away, including a ban on shark finning and illegal logging, as well as legally-enforced pollution regulations.Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/126052014-01-07T18:34:00Z2014-01-07T18:59:06ZCompany accused of logging endangered rainforest trees in breach of timber legality certificate<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/14/0107Triomas-FDI-Riau150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>An Indonesian wood supplier that was recently certified under the country’s legal timber verification scheme has been clearing natural forests – including stands of endangered ramin trees – and draining peat swamps on its concession, alleges a local environmental watchdog. The company, the group says, is also implicated in corruption linked to its concession permit. The organization is calling for the company’s legal timber certification to be revoked and urging auditors not to issue legality certificates to companies involved in corruption.Rhett Butler0.564413102.926574tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/125652013-12-23T14:17:00Z2015-02-12T00:03:21ZWorld first: Russia begins pumping oil from Arctic seabedOil has begun to be pumped from the Arctic seabed, according to Russian oil giant, Gazprom. The company announced on Friday that it has begun exploiting oil reserves at the offshore field of Prirazlomnoye. The project, which is several years behind schedule, is hugely controversial and made international headlines in September after Russian military arrested 28 Greenpeace activists protesting the operation along with a British journalist and Russian videographer. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/125422013-12-18T23:32:00Z2014-02-20T19:15:17ZOngoing deforestation reported in Borneo concession held by APP supplier<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/13/1218westapp150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Up to 1,400 hectares of forest have been cleared in a concession belonging to an Asia Pulp &amp; Paper (APP) supplier in Borneo, potentially putting the company in breach of the forestry giant's zero deforestation commitment, reports a coalition of local NGO's. In a report released Tuesday, Relawan Pemantau Hutan Kalimantan (RPHK), a coalition of NGO's in part supported by WWF-Indonesia, said that blocks of natural forest have been cleared in a concession belonging to PT Daya Tani Kalbar (DTK), an APP supplier. The clearing has taken place since APP's moratorium went into effect February 1, 2013.Rhett Butler-0.760352109.814773tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/125342013-12-17T19:57:00Z2013-12-17T20:33:44ZCanada's biggest logger loses eco-certification<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/13/1217.caribou.91957_148624.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Resolute Forest Products, the largest industrial logging company in Canada, suffered a major setback this week when the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) revoked three certifications for the forestry giant. According to Greenpeace, the company lost its certification in Quebec and Ontario due to several problems, including a lack of consent from the Crees nations and failure to safeguard high priority conservation areas. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/124982013-12-10T15:50:00Z2015-02-11T23:59:47ZAverage American consumes 50,000 pounds of raw materials annually for the stuff they buy <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/13/1210.open_pit_mine_truck.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>The average American car weighs about 3,000 pounds. But to produce that vehicle, a lot more raw materials were used than its final weight! Maybe as much as 100 times more, as reported by scientists in a recent paper in the Proceedings of National Academy of Science. For this car to be produced, iron ore is mined in Australia and made into steel. Steel is then shipped to Japan and made into a car, which is then sold in the U.S. Most studies until now, measured national consumption by accounting only for the final weight of the products we purchase. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/124962013-12-10T14:09:00Z2014-12-28T19:57:48ZTop 10 Environmental Stories of 2013<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/south-africa/150/south_africa_kruger_1126.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>1. Carbon concentrations hit 400ppm while the IPCC sets global carbon budget: For the first time since our appearance on Earth, carbon concentrations in the atmosphere hit 400 parts per million. The last time concentrations were this high for a sustained period was 4-5 million years ago when temperatures were 10 degrees Celsius higher. Meanwhile, in the slow-moving effort to curb carbon emissions, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) crafted a global carbon budget showing that most of the world's fossil fuel reserves must be left untouched if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/124912013-12-05T20:11:00Z2013-12-06T18:57:51ZWorld's biggest palm oil company makes zero deforestation commitment<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay/sabah/150/sabah_0737.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Wilmar, the world's largest palm oil trader and a long-time target of environmentalists, has signed a landmark policy that commits the company to eliminate deforestation from its supply chain. The deal, if fully implemented, has the potential to transform the palm oil industry, which has emerged over the past decade as one of the world's most important drivers of tropical forest destruction.
Rhett Butler1.279897103.842563tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/124832013-12-04T23:59:00Z2013-12-20T05:40:14ZGreen investors urge companies to clean up palm oil industry<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/13/1204-top-10-oilseeds150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>A coalition of investors and asset managers is urging stakeholders in the palm oil industry to adopt policies that exclude deforestation and human rights violations from their supply chains. The call, coordinated by Green Century Capital Management, was issued in the form of letters sent to 40 major palm oil producers, financiers and buyers. Rhett Butler42.359254-71.054775tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/124702013-12-02T00:44:00Z2013-12-02T01:05:30ZPalm oil company Bumitama under fire for clearing rainforest, endangering orangutans<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/13/1201buritama.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Bumitama Agri, an Indonesian palm oil producer, is breaking the law by clearing forests and developing plantations without the proper licenses, a coalition of NGOs said in a report released on Nov. 21. The groups have called on financiers to either force Bumitama to shape up or cut ties with the company and with global palm oil traders such as Wilmar and IOI that do business with Bumitama.
Rhett Butler-1.562826110.326589tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/124382013-11-22T20:14:00Z2014-02-20T19:19:27ZGreenpeace photos expose palm oil giant's deforestation in Indonesia<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/13/1122GP04Z5C150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>A series of photos released this week by Greenpeace shows that an Indonesian palm oil company is continuing to clear orangutan habitat in Borneo despite a pledge to stop destroying the forest. Flyovers of a concession owned by PT Andalan Sukses Makmur, a subsidiary of Bumitama Agri Ltd, show excavators clearing peat forests and digging drainage canals just outside Tanjung Puting National Park in Central Kalimantan. Tanjung Puting is famous for its population of orangutans that have been intensely studied by Birute Galdikas, a noted researcher and conservationist.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/124292013-11-21T17:05:00Z2013-11-21T17:53:55ZCitizen groups walk out of UN Climate Summit to protest lack of ambitionThirteen citizen groups&#8212;including Oxfam, Greenpeace, and WWF&#8212;have walked out of ongoing climate talks in Warsaw to protest what they view as a lack of ambition and long-stalled progress on combating global climate change. Nearly 200 governments are currently meeting in Warsaw, Poland at the the 19th Conference of the Parties (COP) for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which is meant to prepare the way for a new agreement in 2015.Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/123552013-11-11T23:00:00Z2014-02-20T19:21:12ZHBSC financing deforestation for palm oil in Borneo<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/13/1111-eia-palm-oil150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>HSBC, the world's third largest bank, continues to lend to companies linked to deforestation despite a policy explicitly prohibiting such practices, alleges a new report from the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). The report, published last week, looks at two Indonesian palm oil companies that recently received finance from HSBC: Bumitama Agri and Triputra Agro Persada.Rhett Butler51.506646-0.016869tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/123452013-11-11T15:59:00Z2015-02-11T23:56:41ZBangladesh plans massive coal plant in world's biggest mangrove forest<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/13/1110.Sundarbans_MM7666_150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>On October 22nd Bangladeshi and Indian officials were supposed to hold a ceremony laying the foundation stone for the Rampal power plant, a massive new coal-fired plant that will sit on the edge of the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest. However, the governments suddenly cancelled the ceremony, instead announcing that the project had already been inaugurated in early October by the countries' heads of state via a less-ornate Skype call. While the governments say the change was made because of busy schedules, activists contend the sudden scuttling of the ceremony was more likely due to rising pressure against the coal plant, including a five-day march in September that attracted thousands.Jeremy Hance22.64823589.651756tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/122122013-10-17T13:59:00Z2013-10-25T13:23:26ZMap reveals gas company flying over Manu National Park<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/13/1017.ANEXO3.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>A map in an internal Peruvian government report reveals that gas company Pluspetrol has been flying over the protected Manu National Park (MNP) in the south-eastern Peruvian Amazon where UNESCO says the biodiversity "exceeds that of any other place on earth."
The over-flight was done via helicopter on 3 February, 2012 by Pluspetrol personnel together with a team from the National Institute e Development of Andean, Amazonian and Afroperuvian Peoples (INDEPA). Jeremy Hance-12.068867-71.386871tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/120942013-09-18T18:15:00Z2014-02-22T02:00:49ZControversial oil palm company now accused of illegal logging in Cameroon rainforestEnvironmental group, Greenpeace, has accused Herakles Farms of illegal logging in Cameroon after the company has already been lambasted by scientists and conservationists for its plan to build a 70,000 hectare palm oil plantation in one of Africa's most biodiverse rainforests. Herakles Farms has been under fire from green groups&#8212;both in Cameroon and abroad&#8212;for years over its oil palm plantation plans, including facing protests from locals who live in the forest to be cleared. Jeremy Hance5.1935269.327164tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/119052013-08-13T14:47:00Z2013-08-13T15:06:47ZTwo children given lifetime gag order on fracking impactsTwo young children in Pennsylvania were banned from talking about fracking for the rest of their lives under a gag order imposed under a settlement reached by their parents with a leading oil and gas company. The sweeping gag order was imposed under a $750,000 settlement between the Hallowich family and Range Resources Corp, a leading oil and gas driller. It provoked outrage on Monday among environmental campaigners and free speech advocates.Jeremy Hance40.149685-79.543691tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/118982013-08-08T18:02:00Z2013-08-08T21:26:39ZEndangered chimps and forest elephants found in rainforest to be logged for palm oil<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/13/0808.GP0MDS.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>A biological survey of forests slated for destruction for a palm oil project in Cameroon has uncovered 23 species of large mammals, including the world's most endangered chimpanzee subspecies, the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti). The project in question, operated by U.S.-based company Herakles Farms, has come under stiff criticism both locally and abroad for threatening one of Africa's most biologically rich forest lands and arguably undercutting local peoples' access to traditional lands. Jeremy Hance5.1018879.118423tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/118222013-07-24T14:15:00Z2013-07-24T14:37:12ZAustralian logger: finding dead koalas 'a daily thing'Revelations of koalas suffering graphic injuries and death in Victorian timber plantations are evidence of a long-standing failure to properly protect the iconic Australian marsupials, according to a leading conservation organization. Footage on Monday night's 7.30 report showed koalas, including babies, lying dead on the floor of a cleared forest. One koala was missing an arm while another injured animal relocated to a new area of bush was shown to be in visible distress.Jeremy Hance-37.370157146.26831tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/118052013-07-22T20:56:00Z2013-07-24T16:42:08ZRare animal species and Buddhist monks in danger of losing their home to cement quarry<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/13/0722.temple.Kanthan_150.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>An international cement company Lafarge, winner of a Green Initiative award, is considering quarrying a cave in Malaysia which is the sole home of a critically endangered species. The proposed operations also threaten a Buddhist monastery near the cave where monks are facing eviction. Kanthan cave in Peninsular Malaysia is located in a limestone hill, already extensively quarried for the production of cement by Lafarge. The cave, just as most karst caves in Southeast Asia, harbors a unique ecosystem. One of the rare endemic organisms is the Kanthan Cave trapdoor spider (<i>Liphistius kanthan</i>), which was just designated as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List.Jeremy Hance4.599012101.093388tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/117812013-07-17T14:09:00Z2013-07-17T14:30:21ZApple investigating if tin for smart phones involved child labor Apple is investigating whether tin mined from Bangka Island in Indonesia, where child labor and environmental damage from the mining has been reported, is used in its iPhones and other products.Jeremy Hance-2.416276106.083069tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/116652013-06-28T17:47:00Z2013-07-05T17:00:44ZWorld's biggest companies lay out path toward zero-deforestation commoditiesWith a backdrop of fires raging across oil palm and timber plantations in Sumatra, business and political leaders convened in Indonesia to discuss a path forward for producing deforestation-free commodities by 2020.Rhett Butler-6.201312106.833tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/116592013-06-27T19:56:00Z2013-06-30T16:31:36ZColombian mining dispute highlights legislative disarrayColombian authorities have ruled that local environmental officials acted correctly in ordering South African mining giant AngloGold Ashanti to halt their work, following demands from the multinational corporation for their disciplining. Cortolima, the environmental authority of the department of Tolima in central Colombia, stopped AngloGold from conducting unsanctioned exploration activities in the Tolima municipality of Piedras in March.Jeremy Hance4.498393-74.915886tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/116422013-06-25T15:09:00Z2013-06-25T15:12:38ZDecades-long fight leads to old-growth forest protection in Tasmania<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/13/0625.800px-Upper_Florentine_Protest_Camp_3.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Almost 200,000 hectares of Tasmania's old growth forest have been world heritage listed, bringing hope that a three-decade fight between environmentalists, politicians and loggers is over. The World Heritage Committee has extended the heritage listed boundary of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area by more than 170,000 hectares after accepting a proposal from the Australian government which will give the areas the highest level of environmental protection in the world.Jeremy Hance-42.827639146.181107tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/115442013-06-04T17:51:00Z2013-06-04T17:55:44ZCanadian province cancels tar sands pipeline due to environmental impactEfforts to expand production from the Alberta tar sands suffered a significant setback on Friday when the provincial government of British Columbia rejected a pipeline project because of environmental shortcomings. In a strongly worded statement, the government of the province said it was not satisfied with the pipeline company's oil spill response plans.Jeremy Hance57.562995-126.877442tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/114672013-05-22T17:02:00Z2013-05-22T17:25:41ZIndigenous groups protest hydropower congress as controversy hits meeting in Malaysia<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/13/0522.saveriverprotests.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>The opening of the International Hydropower Association (IHA) World Congress in the Malaysian state of Sarawak was marred today by indigenous protests and controversy after a local indigenous leader was barred from attending a pre-conference workshop. Over 300 people from local indigenous people protested the ongoing construction of around a dozen mega-dams in the state that threaten to flood traditional lands, force villages to move, and upend lives in the state. The Sarawak hydropower plans are some of the most controversial in the world&#8212;making the choice of Kuching, Sarawak for the IHA meeting an arguably ironic one&#8212;with critics contending that the dams are have been mired in political corruption, including kickbacks and bribes. IHA brings together dam builders, banks, and various related organizations worldwide every two years.Jeremy Hance1.54202110.320358tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/114532013-05-20T12:27:00Z2013-05-20T12:44:12ZPeru delays oil drilling in the Amazon to consult with indigenous peoplesPeru has delayed auctioning off 27 oil blocs in the Amazon in order to conduct legally-required consultations with indigenous groups in the region, reports the Guardian. Perupetro S.A., Peru's state oil and gas company, has announced it will auction 9 blocs off the Pacific coast, but will hold auctioning off the controversial oil blocs in the Amazon rainforest at least until later this year. Jeremy Hance-10.466206-71.326905tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/114112013-05-13T02:20:00Z2013-05-16T00:39:14ZPalm oil company violated RSPO standards, evicted from sustainability bodyThe Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has evicted Indonesian palm oil giant Dutapalma Nusantara for violating key principles for sustainability.
Rhett Butler-0.582266102.632562tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/113282013-05-01T13:32:00Z2013-05-01T14:07:12ZTen U.S. cities pledge to kick fossil fuel investments to the curbThe cities of San Francisco and Seattle have pulled their money out of fossil fuel companies, taking a climate divestment campaign from college campuses to local government. The campaign group 350.org said on Thursday it had won commitments from a total of 10 cities and towns to divest from 200 of leading fossil fuel companies.Jeremy Hance37.740313-122.426605tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/113262013-04-30T21:49:00Z2013-04-30T21:54:19ZCitizen group finds 30 toxic chemicals in air following tar sands oil spill in Arkansas<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/13/0404.Exxon-Pipeline-Spill-Arkansas.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Independent air samples by locals have yielded "a soup of toxic chemicals" in Mayflower, Arkansas where an Exxon Mobil pipeline burst on March 29th spilling some 5,000 barrels of tar sands oil, known as bitumen. Chemicals detected included several linked to cancer, reproductive problems, and neurological impacts such as benzene and ethylbenzene. Air samples were taken by community leader and University of Central Arkansas student April Lane a day after the spill. However, the Environment Protection Agency (EPA)'s and Exxon Mobil's air samples have yielded chemical levels below harm except in the direct clean-up area, according to the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH).Jeremy Hance34.956026-92.427664tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/113222013-04-30T15:00:00Z2015-02-09T22:52:51ZMining companies must turn to recycling as demand for metals growsDemand for metals is likely to increase tenfold as developing economies surge ahead, putting severe stress on the natural environment, a new report from the United Nations Environment Program (Unep) has warned. The organization has suggested a novel response: bring in the mining companies&#8212;often seen as the environmental villains&#8212;to sort out the recycling.Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/113152013-04-29T15:39:00Z2015-02-09T22:52:37ZWhat if companies actually had to compensate society for environmental destruction?<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://travel.mongabay.com/kenya/150/kenya_0414.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>The environment is a public good. We all share and depend on clean water, a stable atmosphere, and abundant biodiversity for survival, not to mention health and societal well-being. But under our current global economy, industries can often destroy and pollute the environment&#8212;degrading public health and communities&#8212;without paying adequate compensation to the public good. Economists call this process "externalizing costs," i.e. the cost of environmental degradation in many cases is borne by society, instead of the companies that cause it. A new report from TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity), conducted by Trucost, highlights the scale of the problem: unpriced natural capital (i.e. that which is not taken into account by the global market) was worth $7.3 trillion in 2009, equal to 13 percent of that year's global economic output.Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/113012013-04-25T04:04:00Z2013-04-26T18:34:05ZIndonesian palm oil giant clearing peat forest despite its RSPO membership, alleges GreenpeaceA major Indonesian palm oil producer continues to clear rainforests in Sumatra despite being a prominent member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), casting doubts on the body's effectiveness in limiting deforestation, alleges a new report from Greenpeace.Rhett Butler-0.582265102.632561tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/112692013-04-18T15:58:00Z2013-04-22T16:10:53ZUp for grabs: how foreign investments are redistributing land and water across the globe<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/13/0418.madagascar_6162.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>In 2007, the increased human population, increased prices in fuel and transportation costs, and an increased demand for a diversity of food products prompted a Global Food Crisis. Agricultural producers and government leaders world-wide struggled to procure stable food sources for their countries. But the crisis had impacts beyond 2007: it was also the impetus for what we now know as the global land-grabbing phenomenon.Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/112092013-04-10T19:44:00Z2013-04-10T20:00:41ZInternational Paper commits to working with longtime foe to protect endangered forestsIn another sign that the global paper industry may be steering toward more sustainable practices following years of bruising activist campaigns and pressure from buyers, International Paper (IP) has committed to identifying and protecting endangered forests and high conservation value areas in the southern U.S. The company, which is the world's largest paper maker, will be partnering with its tenacious NGO critic, the Dogwood Alliance, in order to map out forests in the region and, furthermore, move away from converting natural forests into pine plantations.Jeremy Hance35.101416-89.850226tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/111762013-04-08T00:27:00Z2013-04-08T16:45:01ZYum! Brands announces 'greener' paper policyAfter a prolonged campaign by environmental activists, the world's largest fast food company has announced a new sourcing policy that will shift it toward greener packaging materials.Rhett Butler0.856902102.818298tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/111672013-04-04T18:10:00Z2013-04-04T18:16:31ZTar sands oil spill: ruptured pipe pours 200,000 gallons of oil into suburban neighborhood (photos)<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/13/0404.Exxon-Pipeline-Spill-Arkansas.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Last Saturday, an oil pipeline carrying tar sands oil from Canada ruptured in Mayflower, Arkansas spilling between 3,500-5,000 barrels of crude (at most 210,000 gallons) into neighborhood streets and lawns. Families from 22 homes have been evacuated while clean-up crews have scrambled to contain the spill. ExxonMobil, which runs the 65-year-old Pegasus pipeline, has stated it will pay for any damage, however critics say the oil spill is more evidence that the Obama Administration should turn down the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.Jeremy Hance34.956026-92.427664tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/111472013-04-01T16:27:00Z2013-04-01T16:47:27ZU.S. book industry using 24 percent recycled paper on average<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay/indonesia/150/kalbar_2239.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>From 2004 to 2010, book publishers increased their use of recycled fiber by nearly five times, from 5 percent to 24 percent on average, according to a new report by the Book Industry Environmental Council (BIEC) and Green Press Initiative. The report, which depends on voluntary statistics from the book industry, also found that nearly all (89 percent) of book publishers have environmental policies.Jeremy Hance0.241699101.770935tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/111422013-03-29T23:07:00Z2013-04-01T21:54:17ZJumping the gun? Confusion over APP deforestation report<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/13/0330canal.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>On Thursday <i>AFP</i> reported that green groups have accused Indonesian forestry giant Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) of breaking its commitment to stop clearing natural forests and peatlands. But that's not entirely accurate. What the coalition of environmental groups in Indonesian Borneo actually reported</a> was clearing by two companies that supply APP with fiber, not deforestation by APP-owned companies. Rhett Butler-0.267791109.979782tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/111242013-03-27T13:41:00Z2013-03-27T13:56:03ZAPP suppliers allegedly slashing forests and peatlands in Indonesia, despite new 'no deforestation' policy<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/13/0327RPHK-APP6150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Less than two months after its implementation, two Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) suppliers in Indonesian Borneo have been accused of violating the company’s new sustainability policy, which includes a zero deforestation commitment throughout its entire supply chain.Rhett Butler-0.760609109.814615tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/110992013-03-25T17:34:00Z2013-03-25T17:44:09ZIndigenous protester killed by masked assailants in Panama over UN-condemned dam<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/13/0325.boulders.panamadam.DSCF1153.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>A Ngäbe indigenous Panamanian, Onesimo Rodriguez, opposing the Barro Blanco hydroelectric dam project was killed last Friday evening by four masked men. His body was then thrown into a nearby stream where it was discovered the following day. Onesimo Rodriguez was attacked with a companion in Las Nubes, after they had attended a demonstration in Cerro Punta, Bugaba, against the dam. His companion, whose identity is being withheld for security reasons, received serious injuries but managed to escape and is having his injuries tended to by the local indigenous community.Jeremy Hance8.248612-81.668859tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/110672013-03-19T13:38:00Z2013-03-19T14:00:23ZAPP conservation policy came after it pulped most of its forests<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/13/0319app-mth150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Asia Pulp &amp; Paper's widely heralded forest conservation policy came after the forestry giant had already cleared nearly all of the legally protected forests within its concessions in Sumatra, alleges a new report published by Greenomics, an Indonesian environmental group.Rhett Butler0.356796102.122126tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/110652013-03-19T02:15:00Z2013-03-19T02:33:39ZEnvironmentalists target controversial logging practices in CaliforniaThe Sierra Club has launched a campaign against clear-cutting by a logging giant in California.Rhett Butler38.299772-120.307674